Tape dispenser



TAPE DI SPENSER Filed Feb. 14, l9 66 INVENTOR ALFREO P. COSTELLO United States Patent O 3,410,465 TAPE DISPENSER Alfred P. Costello, North Vancouver, British Columbia,

Canada, assignor to Universal Patent and Development Ltd., Vancouver, Cauada, a corporation of British Columbia, Camada Filed Feb. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 527,334 6 Claims. (Cl. 22565) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dispenser and cutter for a roll of pressure sensitive tape. A resilient retainer journalling the roll, and constructed to act as a brake preventing unrolling thus facilitating dispensing and cutting. A tape discharge opening of T shape for threading.

This invention relates to improvements in dispensers which are particularly adapted for use in dispensing tape from large diameter rolls.

Much of the tape presently in use such as masking tape and the like is made up in annular rolls which may have an outside diameter of from to 6- inches and an inside diameter of from 1 /2 to 3 inches. Such a roll cannot conveniently be dispensed from conventional dispensers of the type which totally or even partially encloses the roll since the overall size of the dispenser makes it difficult to handle during the tape dispensing operation. In addi tion to being uneconomical to manufacture, a large size dispenser of conventional design is often diflicult to load and once loaded is not easily prepared for use, i.e., tape end is notreadily available to be extended from the dispenser cas1ng.

The above and other disadvantages of prior dspensers are reduced by the present invention which provides a dispenser which is attachable to a segment of the roll in such a manner that the roll itself can be gripped in the users hand and the operation of the dispenser thereon can be fully controlled by use of the same hand.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide means tor mount ing the dispenser on the roll so that the roll is journalled,in a bearing which also can be used as a brake.

A further object is to provide means for the tape end to be seized and threaded through the dispenser to a position where it subsequently can be applied and cut as required.

In order to achieve these and other objects the invention contemplates the use of a dispenser which can be mounted on a tape roll. The case has a discharge opening through which tape is extended from the roll and a cutter for severing the extended length of tape. One of the side walls of the case projects rearwardly beyond the other side wall and a retainer carried on the projecting side wall so as to extend into the annular roll. The retainer slidably engages the inner periphery of the annular roll and supports the outer periphery of said roll in sliding contact with a rear part of the case.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan of the dispenser with the cutter being shown by dotted lines in the retracted or open position.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. l with the cutter similarly shown in the extended or closed position.

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of the dispenser with the cutter omitted.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the cutter.

The tape dispenser shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 has a case which preferably is made of a strong, resilient plastic although other suitable materials may be used. The case has parallel side walls 11 and 12, a top wall 14 and a curved front wall 15. As shown by dotted lines only in FIG. 2, the lower edge of the side wall 11 is curved and projects below the rear edge 17 of the top wall and the inwardly flanged lower edge 18 of the front wall. This projecting edge of the side wall 11 and the corresponding portion of the side wall 12 define with the edges 17 and 18, a channel which is designated by the numeral 19.

The side wall 12 curves downwardly and inwardly below the channel 19 and is tapered to merge with a transversely extending tubular hub 21. This hub is integrally formed with the side wall and also with a retainer 22 which curves upwardly so that its downwardly turned free end 23 normally is disposed close to the channel 19 and between the edges 17 and 18. lt will be noted the retainer 22 is a spring-like member which is fairly easily flexed to vary its curvature but which has quite a strong tendency to return to the normal extended position mentioned above.

A tape -discharge opening 25 is provided in the top wall of the case adjoining the curved front wall. On the underside of the wall 14 a tape guide 26 is formed, the guide extending from side wall to side wall and being substantially semi-circular in cross section. The upper edge of the wall 15, on the opposite side of the rectangular dis charge opening from the tape guide, desirably is rounded as at 27. Formed in the front wall 15 is a centrally disposed feed slot 28 which extends from edge 18 to edge 27, the slot preferably being widened near the edge 18 as shown in FIG. 3.

The case 10 has an integral cover 3tll which is an inverted channel-like member, the front end of which is located above the tape guide 26. This forward part of the cover has a top recess 31 and side grooves 32.

Sldably mounted on the top wall 14, beneath the cover 30, is a cutter 35 which may be formed of a strip of the same plastic material as the case. The cutter 35 is centrally slotted as at 36 and a screw 37 projects freely through this slot to enter a threaded opening 38 in the top wall 14 of the casing. A toothed cutting edge 39 is provided on the front of the cutter and near this bevelled edge, the sliding member has a thumb rest 40 and side flange 41 When the cutter is moved forward on the case it serves as a closure for the discharge opening 25 and when said cutter is in this fully extended or closed position its cutting edge 39 is disposed well forward of the front Wall 15. In the open or retracted position of the cutter the rest 40 and fianges 41 are lodged iu the recess 3-1 and grooves 32 respectively.

The tape dispenser is adapted to be attached to a large diameter roll 45 of tape which may be masking tape or any one of a number of tapes produced in this standard form. To mount the device on the roll, the retainer 22 is compressed and the roll is manipulated to enter its Outer edge into the channel 19 and to lodge the hub 21 and the retainer 22 within the rolls centre opening. When the resilient retainer is released from its slightly compressed state, the retainer end 23 will bear against the inner periph ery of the roll so as to hold the rolls Outer periphery in contact with the edges 17 and 18. Thus, the roll is supported between the spaced apart points 17, 18 and 23 which act as bearings to journal the roll. At this time the roll is held against lateral movement by the restraining action of the channel 19. If the roll is unused its inner edge will also have sliding contact with the hub end of the retainer 22 which has a steadying effect as the roll is rotated during the tape dispensing operation. As the tape is used, however, the rolls inner edge moves out of contact with the lower end of the retainer and it is the three above mentioned bearing points which journal the roll.

The roll 45 is now rotated on its three bearings until the tape end 46 projects beyond the edge 18 of the wall 15. A short length of tape is peeled from the roll and is folded lengthwise upon itself with the adhesive sides in bonding contact with one another. With the cutter 35 in the open position, the folded end of the tape is drawn upwardly through the feed slot 28 until it projects from the discharge opening 25. A further length of tape is then pulled from the roll and the cutter is closed so that the folded portion of the tape may be out and discarded whereupon the dispenser is ready for use.

To remove a length of tape from the roll 45, the case is held lightly in one hand, preferably with one finger lodged in the tubular hub 21, and in a manner which will enable pressure to be applied to the retainer 22. With the dispenser thus held and the cutter in fully retracted position, the tape end 46 is gripped by the other hand and the required length is drawn off the roll. As this is done, the tape passes around the guide 26 which leads it off the roll at an angle best suited to break the adhesion of the tape. When the desired tape length has been extended, finger pressure is increased on the retainer 22 to stop further rotation of the roll and simultaneously the cutter is fully extended so that the tape may be severed against the cutting edge 39. The tape, desirably, is always cut with its cutter 35 fully extended so as to leave a short length projecting beyond the wall where it will be readily available for the next application.

If desired, the dispenser can be used to apply tape to a surface directly from the case. This is possible due to the three bearing point means of attaching the dispenser to the tape and the shape of the case generally which combine to position the device well for forward on the roll. By so positioning the case, the large diameter roll is prevented from interfering with the dispensing operation- The case can be rocked about its transverse axis until the cutter is about perpendicular to the surface to be taped at which time the lowenmost edge of the tape roll would be above the front wall 15 and well clear of the surface. The tape end is then applied to the surface and the dispenser is drawn away from the attached end to unwind the roll. Again the tape cutting is done by braking the roll using the retainer 22 and positioning the cutter so that the tape can be cut by a pulling and twisting (motion of the case. With practise it will be found that all these movements can be coordinated so that the tape application and cutting can be done with one continuous wiping-on motion of the dispenser.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent the dispenser is easily loaded, the feeding of the tape and into position of use is readily accomplished and the tape is easily dspensed from whatever position of the device is dictated by the shape of the article to be taped and other obvious factors.

What I claim is:

1. A tape dispenser structure for mounting on an annular roll of tape; the dispenser having a case including side walls, and a tape discharge opening; the roll having an Outer periphery, and a core with an inner periphery; resilient means secured to at least one case side wall adapted to journal the roll, and to provide means for braking the roll; the structure including:

(a) a case having two parallel side walls, a top wall and a curved front wall, with a lower edge of one. side wall curved and projecting below a rear edge of the top wall and below an inwardly flanged lower edge of the front wall,

(b) a channel defined by the side walls and the edges aforesad, the roll periphery being received in the channel,

(c) the resilient means slidably engaging the core inner periphery being secured to the projecting side wall at a transversely extending hub fonmed integrally with said side wall and the resilient means, being adapted to urge the roll periphery against the lower edge of the curved side wall and against the inwardly flanged lower edge of the front wall, the lower edge of the curved side wall and the flanged front wall edge being circumferentially spaced, and With the roll being journalled by the circumferentally spaced edges, and the resilient means engaging the core.

2. Structure as defined in claim 1; wherein the resilient retainer extends from the hub to an inwardly turned free end slidably engaging the core inner periphery as aforesad, adapted for the inwardly turned free end to be manually urged against the core periphery, with the roll Outer periphery urged against the circumferentially spaced edges aforesaid, so providing breaking means.

3. Structure as defined in claim 1; with the tape discharge opening being fonmed adjacent the front wall, and the front wall having a feed slot extending from edge to edge thereof and communicating with the discharge opening; a cutter slidably mounted on the top wall and adapted to form a movable closure for the discharge opening.

4. Structure as defined in claim 3; with a tape guide being formed on an underside of the front wall adjacent the discharge opening.

5. Stmcture as defined in claim 4; with the tape discharge opening being fonmed adjacent the front wall, and the front wall having a feed slot extending from edge to edge thereof and communicating with the discharge opening; a cutter slidably mounted on the top wall and adapted to form a movable closure for the discharge opening.

6. Structure as defined in claim 5; with a tape guide being fonmed on an underside of the front wall adjacent the discharge opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,609,877 9/1952 Hanington 225 X 2,788,181 4/1957 Anderson 22565 3,085,727 4/ 1963 Waltz 22566 3,109,570 11/1963 Maddalena 225--66 JAMES M. MEISTER, Primary Examner. 

